ABOUT US
ZIMCET condemns the attack on MP Trudy
  Stevenson and any other violence in Zimbabwe

Vision

An empowered, peaceful Zimbabwean society conscious
of its rights and obligations through full participation
in the socio-economic, civic and cultural development.

Mission

ZIMCET endevours to build an empowered, peaceful society,
through civic education, advocacy and lobby meetings.
As a grassroots-based organisation ZIMCET works through community
volunteers or animators and peace communittees

Brief history

The Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust (ZIMCET) was founded in the year 2000 and was commissioned, thereafter, by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, to monitor violence while it awaited its registration. ZIMCET identified and trained 240 volunteers who assisted in monitoring violence. When the organisation was eventually registered in August 2001, its immediate activities were influenced by what the report on violence had identified as a problem.

Objectives

ZIMCET spearheaded a peace-building programme after the realisation that there was need for healing of communities in Zimbabwe following the widespread violence that accompanied the farm invasions and the 2000 Parliamentary elections.
Its core business is providing education for peace, rights, justice and development and the organization has made significant strides in achieving this at grass roots level since 2001.
The organization has established peace committees who are playing a pivotal role in efforts to building peace in communities throughout the country.

The Team

ZIMCET has also identified volunteers/facilitators known as Animators, who are the ambassadors of peace at local level in the various communities. Animators operate at constituency level. The Animators are responsible for organising and holding public meetings where communities get the opportunity to speak about their situation and raise issues that affect them. The establishment of peace committees has meant that even political communities can access a platform on which to dialogue and thus work towards the enhancement of tolerance and co existence through interest group representation.

The Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust (ZIMCET) learned with shock and dismay at the battering of Mrs. Trudy Stevenson and four other high-ranking officials from the MDC pro-senate faction. This becomes the third incident in less than a year in which the MDC pro-senate faction officials have been brutally attacked by unruly youths. Mr. David Coltart alleged that Peter Guhu, MDC's director of security, was on the agenda of some youths to be attacked.

ZIMCET condemns in the strongest terms this spate of violence which is resurfacing on the political arena. The violence which is being perpetrated by the youths erodes the gains which had been realised during the elections where the leaders came out strongly against all forms of violence.

The youths have shown a lack of respect for human dignity and a lack of worthwhile activities to occupy their time. We call upon the police to do a thorough job in investigating these barbaric attacks. The youths must realize that they are the ones who will bear the brunt of the law should they be found on the wrong side of the law. ZIMCET pleads with political leaders to come out and condemn in the strongest terms the assaults and dissociate themselves from a culture of violence.

ZIMCET believes in a culture of tolerance and works in communities to promote peace. The organisation works to promote tolerance of divergent views and peaceful co-existence and it is urging politicians and their followers to learn to accept that differences of opinions should not result in physical confrontation. Sponsored violence works against societal development.

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